ECHR Conference in Ankara

The right to fair trial and freedom of expression will be the focus of a European Convention on Human Rights Conference organized by the Ankara University (AU) Political Sciences Faculty (SBF) and the Human Rights Center (IHM) in Ankara.

Academics and jurists working in the field of human rights will attend the one-day conference to be held April 28 Friday, at the faculty.

The session on freedom of expression which constitutes a large part of the Conference will cover a variety of daily issues from problems of freedom of expression in Turkey to expression of racist and violent opinions, as well as the limitation of expression of views provoking religious hatred as in the example of Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten's controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammed.

The April 28 Conference schedule is as follows:

1st Session: ECHR and Right to Fair Trial (10:00-12:15)

Session Chair: Lecturer Dr. Gokcen Alpkaya

* "The Concept of Court" Ertugrul C. Gurcan (AU, SBF, Constitutional Anayasa Law Discipline Researcher, IHM)

* "The Concept of Objective Impartiality" Dilan Mizrak (AU, Faculty of Law Researcher)

* "The Right of Defence with Attorney" Utku Kilinc (Director of Izmir Bar Association Human Rights Center)

* "The Right to Court Access and Application of Judicial Decisions"

Burcin Gungor (AU, SBF Graduate Student)

2nd Session: Debates on ECHR and Freedom of Expression (13:30 - 15:45)

Session Chair: Asst. Lecturer Dr. Ali Rıza Coban (Kirikkale University, Faculty of Law, Constitutional Law)

* "The Freedom of Expression Problem in Turkey under the Copenhagen Criteria" Ersoy Kontacı (AU, Faculty of Law, Constitutional Law)

* "Racial Expression" Elif Kuzeci (Baskent University, Faculty of Law General Public Law Researcher)

* "Expression Containing Elements of Violence" Ozan Deger (AU, SBF, International Law Researcher, IHM)

* "The Issue of Limiting Expression Provoking Religious Hatred: The Jyllands-Posten Cartoon Incident" Hasan S. Vural (AU, SBF, Constitutional Law Discipline Researcher, IHM)

3rd Session: Debates on ECHR and Freedom of Expression 2 (14:00-17:45)

Session Chair: Asst. Lecturer Dr. Kerem Altiparmak (AU, SBF, Human Rights Discipline, IHM)

* "Freedom of Expression of Civil Servants" Funda Cetindag (AU, Faculty of Law Doctorate Student)

* "The Duty of the Media to Inform" Ozgur Temiz (AU, Faculty of Law Graduate Student)

* "The Right to Information: The Right for Confidentiality of Private Life and the Freedom of Expression" Cavidan Soykan (AU, SBF, Human Rights Discipline Researcher, IHM) (TK/KÖ/II/YE)